Posts Tagged ‘Martial Artist’

A Valuable Resource for Martial Arts Supplies

December 28th, 2009

The term “Martial Arts Supplies” encompasses a host of things that a martial artist may need to become a full-fledged martial artist. It may mean uniforms for the various martial arts that exist, sparring and training gear, weapons, and exercise equipment, among others. So long as it is used so you become more proficient at martial arts, that thing qualifies to be part of the Martial Arts Supplies category.

But how do you look for a reliable Martial Arts Supplies retailer? One way is to simply encode the search phrase “Martial Arts Supplies” into your search box and wait for names of ecommerce sites to crop up. You can also get your Martial Arts Supplies from your martial arts school, which may either have a contractor who provides such Martial Arts Supplies that their students need, or which may sell the Martial Arts Supplies as part of their martial arts business.

A third way to secure the right type of Martial Arts Supplies is to contact martial arts federations and ask them where they get their Martial Arts Supplies.

When you are getting Martial Arts Supplies like uniforms, you first have to specify what martial arts you are pursuing to the supplier. You also have to indicate at what stage in the martial arts field you are already in. This means that uniforms are generally classified as Student Uniforms, Lightweight Uniforms, Middleweight, and Heavyweight Uniforms (though some uniforms under a certain martial arts may subdivide their uniforms further into other sub-categories. )

Intimate Martial Arts Supplies like mouth/teeth protectors, and helmets, should never be shared among friends for hygienic reasons. It is okay for you to share your uniform with others provided it is washed before being returned to you. Another reason you should never share with others is that you might never get back your expensive Martial Arts Supplies anymore and have to scrounge around for enough cash to buy more of the same supplies afterwards.

Martial Arts Supplies like weapons are another type of personal stuff that you should never share with others – but this time, for reasons of safety. Since Martial Arts Supplies like a pair of nunchucks, or samurai swords, were made to be as real as possible, sharing them out is really a bad idea. You never know what kind of trouble other people might get into using your weapons. Treat such Martial Arts Supplies as dangerous weapons and keep them in safe secure storage. It is especially important to keep your weapons out of reach of children and teenagers.

Martial Arts Supplies like books and instructional CD-ROMs are another story though – these are the types of Martial Arts Supplies that you ought to share out with others, especially those from the same martial arts club that you belong to. It is always fun and instructional to share opinions and tips with your co-martial artists. In fact, that is part of the pleasure you will get from the field of martial arts actually. So whether you pursue martial arts purely as a weekend warrior, or with the intent of becoming an instructor yourself someday, sharing your knowledge about martial arts and Martial Arts Supplies will always benefit you too in the final analysis.

Martial Arts Equipment – Progress in Martial Arts

December 12th, 2009

The first and last thing you need to remember about martial arts is that it is a field of discipline that is supposed to prepare you for combat. It is not simply a set of movements that look great to spectators. Every movement, every breath done by the martial artist is meant to accomplish something during a combat encounter. If you are ready for the idea of using your martial arts skills for combat situations, then you are ready to train and progress in martial arts.

Inasmuch as the term “Martial Arts” literally means “the art of Mars” (Mars being the god of war in Roman mythology), you should be prepared to invest in martial arts equipment to train for highly combative situations. Though some cultures frown upon women taking part in martial arts, there are other cultures that expect women to learn martial arts too – like in ancient Japan, wives of samurai warriors were expected to defend the home if attacked in the absence of their husbands.

Martial arts can be subdivided as to what skills they seem to prioritize – this will tell you what types of martial arts equipment you need to use. For striking, you may need the “wooden dummy” that is used as Chinese martial arts equipment – this type of Chinese martial arts equipment tries to train your mind to anticipate where angles of attack would come from. For kicking sports like Taekwondo, the necessary martial arts equipment to use would be a mouth-guard and a head-guard (for both male and female jins or fighters. ) Male jins need other martial arts equipment like a crotch guard or sport cup so that their groin is not exposed to injury. Chest protectors are standard martial arts equipment for amateur matches and Olympic-level matches. However, in real life you should expect such protective martial arts equipment to be absent so some sparring matches involve absence of any protective gear, so you get used to being in real-life combat situations.

Uniforms are standard martial arts equipment for nearly all martial arts nowadays. Often, you can distinguish what type of martial arts is being done based on what the fighters are wearing. But uniforms are not just pleasant to look at – since they are made of thick material, they are pretty durable so that they can withstand constant strikes and friction during combat situations. Uniforms nowadays are also made of breathable material like thick cotton so that fighters don’t overheat or feel too uncomfortable in the heat of a match.

Since martial arts were developed for combat, often fighters or martial artists might be members of the military. In the Western context then, it may be necessary to have access to important martial arts equipment such as strength training equipment. Though in the past, the weight of your opponent may have been enough to workout with, nowadays many martial arts recognize that strength training is quite important too. So if you can find a way to buy your own gym equipment (as your investment into necessary martial arts equipment) or at least rent them by the hour, that would help you develop strength and power for your matches.

In many Chinese martial arts, there are other forms of martial arts equipment that Western martial arts do not require. Some Chinese disciplines will require you to break wooden blocks or planks with your fist. This simple yet staple among Chinese martial arts equipment tests your power, focus, and ability to marshal your chi (energy) into your fist where it meets the wood. Another type of necessary martial arts equipment for the Chinese martial arts would be concrete blocks. Some instructors may ask you to break these concrete blocks with your fist, feet, or even your head.

As you can see, the Chinese martial arts require a different set of martial arts equipment compared to the Western type of martial arts. Do invest in the type of martial arts equipment appropriate for your discipline. Martial arts equipment will help you be a stronger, better and more confident fighter in the end.

Jet Li, From Humble Beginnings To Action/Martial Arts Movie Superstar

December 9th, 2009

Are your ready for some action? Among all the remarkable action/martial arts movie stars over the last 20 years or so, several of them truly stand out such as Jackie Chan, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, probably Jean-Claude Van Damme. (Maybe you have your own favorites that haven’t been mentioned here. Let me know by sending in your comments. ) There are movie performers most people remember and who are quite frankly household names. One such martial artist and movie performer I am always impressed with is Li Lianjie. “Who the heck is that?”, you ask. I admit I also only knew him by his stage name, Jet Li. For many years, Jet Li has worked extremely hard to get where he is now in his career. And obviously his hard work and determination have paid off for him and his family. Especially if you consider that his mother had to somehow pull him, his bother and two sisters through as a widow in Beijing during the Sixties. As a teenager, Jet Li rigorously trained in Wushu for several years, winning countless titles and national gold medals. Jet Li became a member of the high-acclaimed national Wushu team that even performed for then-U. S. President Nixon in the United States. In those days it was an extraordinary honor and opportunity for Chinese to be able to travel overseas and even more so to perform in front of “the leader of the free world”. Jet Li was still just a teenager at the time! His abilities and achievements as a Wushu forms practitioner paved the way for Jet Li’s acting in martial arts movies that started in China, then Hong Kong and ultimately the United States. He has become a global superstar throughout the years. You might have seen him in some of his movies such as: Shaolin TempleOnce Upon A Time In China Lethal Weapon 4(This was the first time I had ever seen Jet Li and I was impressed!) Romeo Must DieHero Cradle 2 The GraveFearlessWar (with Jason Statham)The Forbidden Kingdom (with fellow superstar Jackie Chan) I have learned that Jet Li is a cast member along with Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Jason Staham, Arnold Schwarzenegger to star in  “The Expendables” which is scheduled to be released in 2010. More on that at a later date. But there is also another side to Jet Li such as his charitable activities, notably after his near-death experience in 2004 in the Maldives during a tsunami. Reportedly, Jet Li’s “The One Foundation” supports international disaster relief efforts with the Red Cross and other efforts, such as recovery in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Jet Li continues to impress on and off the big screen. If you enjoy watching Jet Li either at age 14 performing Wushu form for his first championship or as the bad guy in Lethal Weapon 4, stop by TheMartialArtsReporter. com